Zain Africa Challenge is a question and answer game played between two teams of three players each.

The game is played in four rounds.

The first three rounds are called Face-Off Rounds. In each of these rounds, there are two types of questions: Face-Offs, worth 10 points each and Bonuses, worth 20 points.

The fourth round is called the Ultimate Challenge. Each team gets a turn to play the Ultimate Challenge. The team has 60 seconds to answer 10 questions in the category of its choice. Each correct answer is worth 50 points, for a total of 500 points.

In each of the three Face-Off rounds, a different player represents the team answering Face-Off questions. That player is the only one who can answer for his or her team.

In each Face-Off round, there are four new categories. In each category there are three Face-Off questions. Each Face-Off has a related Bonus question.

The last player to correctly answer a Face-Off selects the category for the next Face-Off.

On Face-Offs, after the entire question is read, the first player to signal gets to answer.

If s/he answers correctly, the team gets a Bonus question.

If s/he answers wrong, the player representing the other team gets a chance to answer the Face-Off. If that player answers correctly, his or her team gets the Bonus.

Bonuses are played by the entire team. The team may confer on its answer.

In the computerised version and at the National Qualifying Tournaments, each Face-Off round lasts three minutes or until no Face-Off questions remain, whichever comes first. When the three-minute timer reaches zero, the currently playing Face-Off/Bonus question pair is completed, then the round is declared over. At the International Championship Festival, an audio signal will announce the end of the round.

At the end of the three Face-Off rounds the teams play the Ultimate Challenge. The team that’s behind goes first. If there’s a tie, there is a coin toss and the team that wins decides if it wants to go first or last.

In the Ultimate Challenge, there are four new categories from which to choose. When it’s a team’s turn to play, the players confer and select the category. Once a category is selected it is no longer available.

In the Ultimate Challenge, the team has 60 seconds to answer 10 questions. The questions are read rapid-fire one after the other. Team members can confer on answers. Any team member may call out an answer. The first answer heard by the presenter is the one that will be accepted. As long as there is time remaining, teams can keep coming back to questions which they missed or on which they passed.

In the Ultimate Challenge, if the team answers all 10 questions correctly it scores 500 points. Even if the first team to play the Ultimate Challenge does not take the lead in the game, the second team plays the Ultimate Challenge. For televised matches, as a reward for answering all 10 questions correctly, each student team member receives a $500 Bonus.

The team with the most points at the end of the Ultimate Challenge wins the game.

Game procedures

The answers provided by Zain Africa Challenge are the official answers.
The underlined information is considered the minimum needed for a
correct response.

At the end of the game, the Scorekeeper verifies the
score and it is declared official.

If the score is tied at the end of the game, the tie is
broken by a sudden-death play-off of Face-Off questions with all players eligible to answer.
The first correct answer scores 10 points and wins the
game.

Answering Face-Offs

On Face-Offs, players signal and are recognised
before beginning their answer. Once a player has been
recognised, s/he must immediately begin their answer.

After the presenter completes the reading of the question,
the lockout signal system is activated and the players are given approximately 3 seconds to signal and
must answer immediately once they are recognised.

A correct answer on a Face-Off question scores 10 points.
If the answer is incorrect, the question is turned over to
the player on the other team.

Every time a player answers a Face-Off question correctly,
their team, and their team only, gets the chance
to answer a Bonus question.

If a player does not answer immediately, a game official
calls “time.” An answer given after time is called does not
count. Where applicable, the question is turned over to the player on the other team.

If a player confers with a teammate on a Face-Off question,
the answer is disqualified, even if it was correct.
Where applicable, the question is turned over.

Answering Bonuses

A team earns the chance to answer a Bonus question
after its team member correctly answers a Face-Off.

On Bonus questions all team members should confer.
If there are conflicting answers, the player in the centre position must speak
for the team. That player may designate (verbally or
with a gesture) another player to answer. The presenter
will take the first clear answer obviously directed toward
him/her, so teams should be sure that they agree on
their response before anyone gives an answer.

The team is given five seconds to confer on each Bonus.
The presenter will allow for a natural pause but
no stalling. Once the presenter has prompted for an
answer (“Your answer please”), the team must begin the answer immediately.

Acceptable answers

The correct answer and acceptable alternatives are given to the presenter. The necessary information is
underlined. The presenter and judge will determine
if the player has answered giving clear and precise
knowledge of the information requested, or if the player
is just guessing in an effort to hit the required answer.

Answers which show clear and precise knowledge will be judged correct. For example, if a question lists famous guitarists and the given answer is "guitar", then "guitars" and "guitarist" or "guitarists" are also acceptable answers.

On a Face-Off, the first response given is the one that
counts. If a player gives more than one piece of information,
the presenter and judge will evaluate the first answer only.

Unless otherwise stated in the question, players may use
abbreviated answers, such as last names only, acronyms,
etc.

For all married
women, we will not accept the form of her husband’s
name. “Mrs. Jakayo Kikwete” would not be an acceptable
answer for Mama Salma Kikwete.

Proper names, quotations and titles must be exact.
Neither “Sonnets In the Portuguese” nor “Sonnet From
the Portuguese” are acceptable for “Sonnets From the
Portuguese,” for example.

When the presenter gives a list of choices for answers,
the player must give the specific answer. Answers like “the third one” or “the last one” are not acceptable.

If the presenter's question card includes the word “Prompt” as a note below
the answer, the presenter can ask the player for “more
specific information” to determine if an answer was correct. A presenter
may only prompt once per question.
For example, if the player answers “Kabila,” the
presenter may ask for more information, to elicit “Laurent” or “Joseph.” A presenter may ask a player
to spell a response to determine if s/he was correct on
phonetically similar answers, i.e. “Manet” or “Monet”.

Conversely, if a player spells an answer to a question
which does not ask for spelling, it should be considered
correct, as long as s/he spells the answer correctly.

Correcting presenter errors

If the presenter inadvertently gives an answer to a Face-Off
without giving either team a chance to respond, the presenter simply reads the next Face-Off in the same category. If the problem
occurs on a Bonus, the presenter uses the next Face-Off/Bonus pair in the same category. The presenter reads the Face-Off, gives the team the answer, then reads the new bonus.

If the presenter gives the answer to a Face-Off after
one player has answered incorrectly, without giving the
second player the chance to respond, the presenter
reads the next Face-Off in the same category for the second player only.

If someone in the audience shouts out an answer, the
presenter throws out the question and reads the next Face-Off or Face-Off/Bonus pair in the same category.

If, however, all questions in the category have been used, the presenter will select a replacement from the remaining questions available in the round.

Playing the Ultimate Challenge

In the Ultimate Challenge, each team has 60 seconds to answer 10 questions, worth 50 points each.

The team that’s behind goes first. If there’s
a tie score at the end of the three rounds, a coin toss determines which team will play first.

There are four categories from which
to choose. When it’s a team’s
turn to play, the players confer and select
the category. Once a category is selected it
is no longer available.

The questions are read rapid-fire one after
the other. Team members may confer on
answers. Any team member may call out
an answer. The first answer heard by the
presenter is the one that will be accepted.

The presenter will acknowledge if an
answer was correct or incorrect.

Any member of the team may “pass” on any question
if they do not have or know the answer. If
a team says "pass" the presenter will go to
the next question.

As long as there is time remaining, teams
can keep coming back to questions which
they missed or on which they passed.

If a team answers all 10 questions correctly
it scores 500 points.

Regardless of score, both teams always
play the Ultimate Challenge. For televised
matches, as a reward for answering all 10
questions correctly, each student team
member receives a $500 Bonus.

The team with the most points at the end
of the Ultimate Challenge wins the game.

Player eligibility & substitution

The Zain Africa Challenge Scholars Team consists of four players (three
players and an alternate).

Teams may substitute freely between games, but may
not substitute during a game, except in the case of
incapacitating illness or injury.

Only undergraduate students who have never received an undergraduate or bachelor's degree at participating universities are eligible
to compete. Students must be registered at the university and must be full-time students. Schools may add additional eligibility requirements.

Students must be full time as defined by the university. Registrar
verification that a lower second term course load completes
all degree requirements is acceptable in lieu of
the term credit requirement.

Each member of the Zain Africa Challenge Scholars Team must be registered in school for the semester or term during which the National Qualifying Tournament or International Championship Festival is conducted in order to be eligible to compete.

Players may compete at the National Qualifying Tournament in successive years until their team advances to the International Championship Festival.

All players are limited to one year of Zain Africa Challenge International Championship Festival attendance/play, regardless of institutional affiliation. Once a player has attended/played at an International Championship Festival, they may not play in any successive National Qualifying Tournament or International Championship Festival.

A player whose conduct is unsportsmanlike or who
disrupts game play will be warned once. This warning
is in effect for the duration of the competition.
A second violation will result in the player’s ejection from
the match in progress. The team may substitute
this player at the end of a round. An ejected player may return in
subsequent matches; however, a
third violation will result in a player’s expulsion from the competition.
This pertains to conduct of the entire team (including the
Coach and Liaison) during the entire tournament (including at the hotel,
etc.). Warnings may be issued by any tournament official.

Resolving game discrepancies

The programme producers have ultimate authority in all matters
during the competition. Their decisions are final.

Every attempt will be made to rectify procedural discrepancies
(discrepancies concerning the implementation of the
game rules and procedures) quickly and fairly. During the games, the game officials will talk to the captain
and coach of each team, one team at a time, away from the
rest of the players. They will then attempt to decide if
the discrepancy is valid and if so what adjustments should
be made.

At the end of each round, the game officials should review
the round amongst themselves to ensure that no errors were
made. They should also approach each team and ask if
they have any questions.

If a player or coach feels an error has been made, s/he must
wait until the end of the round to bring this to the attention of
the game officials.

The game officials will review
the discrepancy and adjust the point totals in accordance
with their decision. The outcome of the review and resultant
score changes should be announced before the start of the
next round.

The only points in question are those points awarded or not
awarded in error. Intangible issues like momentum are not
considered.

In most cases, discrepancies will be resolved by the
addition or subtraction of points and/or the playing of additional
questions without the clock. Replaying a round or
game will only occur in extreme situations, such as one
plagued by numerous discrepancies, poor officiating or equipment malfunctions.